DR Congo: In Beni, the fight against Ebola still faces mistrust and beliefs

After her older sister died suddenly in August, 27-year-old Zawadi Kavira Musubao and her family first accepted a traditional clinic’s claim that the death was caused by poisoning. A pastor later blamed “evil spirits” in the family’s latrine, prompting relatives to throw hot ashes into it; the pastor died soon afterward. A traditional healer then prepared a potion, but the family’s condition continued to worsen. In Beni, eastern DR Congo, misinformation and mistrust of authorities are complicating the public health response to the Ebola outbreak.